2003 El Nogal Club bombing

Infobox terrorist attack
title = El Nogal Club bombing
location = Bogotá, Colombia
date = February 7, 2003


caption =
target = "El Nogal" club
time =
timezone =
type = Car bombing
fatalities = 36
injuries = 200+
perps = FARC .
motive = None

The 2003 El Nogal Club bombing was a terrorist attack that occurred in Bogotá, Colombia. On February 7, 2003, a car containing 200 kg of explosives that was parked in a garage on the third floor of the multi-story "El Nogal" club exploded, killing 36 people and wounding more than 200. There were approximately 600 people in the building at the time of the explosion. The attack was the worst in Colombia for more than a decade.cite web|url=http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/americas/02/08/colombia.explosion/index.html|title=At least 32 killed in Colombia club blast|publisher=CNN|accessdate=2007-07-06] cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/2762587.stm|title=Colombian police raid hit by explosion|publisher=BBC|accessdate=2007-07-06]

No group publicly claimed responsibility for the bombing.

Colombian Vice President Francisco Santos blamed the guerrilla group FARC, saying that there was "not the slightest doubt" that they were responsible and that the government had enough evidence of its involvement. Colombian authorities and investigators, with the aid of ATF members from the U.S., inspected the scene and the remains of the car bomb. Colombian prosecutors linked FARC to the bombing through the participation of, among others, John Freddy Arellan, a squash instructor who died in the bombing. According to authorities, Arellan had recently acquired membership in the club and drove the car containing the explosives, a vehicle which had been bought in late 2002 using false documents, into the parking area. Arrellan would have been employed by FARC's "Javier Paz", not knowing that the bomb would be detonated with him and his uncle still inside the club. [http://64.146.17.242/stories/030203/wor_0302030966.asp] [ [http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/farc/farc-nogal-suspects.htm Asi volaron El Nogal ] ] [ [http://www.fiscalia.gov.co/pag/divulga/bol2004/julio/bol237.htm Boletín de prensa No. 237 ] ]

On March 10, 2003, FARC denied any responsibility in the attack and described it as "state terrorism", claiming that the government of Colombia planted the bomb in order to unite the country against them.cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/2839653.stm|title=Colombia rebels deny club attack|publisher=BBC|accessdate=2007-07-06] cite web|url=http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/americas/03/10/colombia.rebels.ap/index.html|title=FARC denies club bomb involvement|publisher=CNN|accessdate=2007-07-06]

In March 2008, Colombian authorities released documents said to be found in a computer belonging to the slain FARC commander "Raúl Reyes", including a February 13 2003 message in which "Reyes" called the attack a "formidable act" and mentioned the "political convenience of denying responsibilities".cite web|url=http://www.eltiempo.com/tiempoimpreso/edicionimpresa/justicia/2008-03-09/ARTICULO-WEB-NOTA_INTERIOR-3993233.html|title=PC de 'Reyes', prueba reina en casos de diputados y El Nogal|publisher=El Tiempo|accessdate=2008-03-28]

References